Journey's End, A RWBY Fanfiction
by Robulusprime
Summary: Years after the Fall of Beacon, the Past catches up to Mercury and Emerald...
1. Chapter 1-Our Beginning, Their End

Journey's End

A RWBY Fanfiction

A man and a woman ran through a burning forest. This was no jog, but a panicked flight from something they could no longer understand. They fled from their past, made stronger and angry with time. One had green hair and red eyes, the other had dark grey hair and black eyes. Neither hoped for escape.

"How did they find us?" He thought to himself as they ran, "We worked so hard to lay low, we did everything we could to get away…" And they had; the plan to defect was long in the making, and their decoy "deaths" were expertly constructed; but it was not enough. They had been found.

Years ago, both of them were stronger than their pursuers. They were skilled assassins, some of the best money could buy, and employed by the most dangerous and powerful woman on the planet. By comparison the two who followed them now were once children; but the children had grown in skill, in strength, and in anger. The initial fight was long and terrible, with the village the two had hidden in reduced to a ruinous mound and the countryside changed from pastoral to hellish. Now they ran like rabbits chased by hounds.

She tripped. A small root had caught her toe and she fell. He stopped and turned, urging her to get up. She looked at her ankle, fresh purple bruises now blemished her dark skin. She looked at him, red eyes wide in terror. She was hurt, she could not run or fight, he had to save her.

She saw the look on his face, the eyes turn from her toward their pursuers, and she knew what was going to happen. "NO!" she screamed, "Mercury, don't do it!" She pleaded with him, "Run, save yourself!" she begged. He smiled at her, that confident smile she had known so long, a smile with a meaning she only now understood. He walked past her, towards them.

With each step, he felt the weight of the past. He remembered friends who brought him out of darkness and remade him. He recalled their plot to shake the world to its foundations. He relived fights and glory in a floating arena. He saw, like it was yesterday, it's bloody conclusion as beasts and men destroyed one of the planet's greatest cities. In the center of it all, he saw his pursuers, another man and another woman.

The years had changed them both, but the basic description was still the same. One wore white armor over a black hood, and the other a red hood over a black dress. The male hunter's armor was now trimmed in gold. He was definitely a man now, no longer the naïve boy Mercury met years ago, and the designs on his shield now bore more than his house's double-crescent arms. The flames from the forest should have cast all of his body colors in orange, but they were overpowered by the light emanating from the man himself. Pure white, unearthly, almost as though an angel walked the battlefield instead of a man. The man's black hooded robe, long since replacing the boy's hoodie, double edged sword, and blazing blue eyes completed the picture of something both holy and terrible.

Matched with this, the woman huntress' red hood and red scythe created a similar scene. She didn't emanate light. Instead, she was fire. Her robe blew in the hot breeze of the flames, and flickered like the flames itself. Together, and mounted on war-horses, the two were a visible image of the death and judgement that followed in their wake.

Mercury thought it was appropriate, this ending, after all his sins to be brought to task by the angels of death themselves. Especially him, who took so much from those two so many years ago. He grinned. It was a grin of freedom, casting off the guilt that had burdened him for so long. If he faced judgement, then that weight no longer mattered. He charged them, hoping it would give his companion, his Emerald, time. He closed his eyes, choosing his target beforehand and knowing it did not matter if his blow landed or not. He felt the Blade pass through him, and he embraced eternity.

Through tears, Emerald saw Mercury fall. She could do nothing, her power used up in the previous fight. She knew what he wanted her to do, but she could not do it. Everything in her, all of the will to survive, ended with his life. She heard the man, Jaune Arc, say "I'm sorry, Mercury, but you made this choice." as he flicked the blood from his blade and sheathed it. It shocked her how sad he sounded, as though he also felt a part of him die with her Mercury. The huntress dismounted, walked forward, and stood in front of Emerald. She tried to blink the tears from her eyes, and looked up to see the face beneath the red cloak.

Silver eyes greeted her, hard and cold as the steel, but also mournful and tired from years of war. Slowly that silver-eyed huntress spoke, her once high-pitched voice long since mellowed by years of hardship, "Emerald Sustrai, by order of the four Councils you are have been judged traitor and outlaw. You are condemned to immediate death. Do you have any final words?"

Emerald choked back tears. There was no escape, there never was. She was sorry for her actions, but not for the brief happiness and friendships she had. "Ruby," She said, "I only wish our paths were different. Strike true." She closed her eyes with her face toward the sky. She saw three familiar faces, friends who had gone before her, her Mercury was with them. The moment was brief, then the moment was over. The Man and the Woman then laid beneath the charred branches of the forest.


	2. Chapter 2-Memorials and Messages

_Six Months Ago,_

Yang was never fond of cemeteries, and this place was no exception. Back when it was only one small marker, she would occasionally travel out with Ruby to visit their mom. Now, the whole field and cliff-side had row on row of markers, commemorating those who had not survived to the end of the Maiden's War. Many of those markers were missing names.

During her day-to-day life, she worked with the other reminder of the conflict; the precious children left behind and in her care as the new Dean of Signal Academy. Many of them, too many of them, were orphans and referred to her, not as Doctor Xiao Long, but as "Mama Yang." Teaching, ironically, had come naturally to her; and her Huntress credentials helped win over even the most stubborn of students.

Her presence was important because of them, and because of her own personal connection to this collection of stones. Many things had changed because of the War and the four years following it. She was personally responsible for at least a few of them, and her friends were responsible for many others.

Nearby her stood one of those big changes; a small formation of Soldiers. In the aftermath of the attack on Beacon and the Breach at Vale the kingdom had developed its own military. While significantly smaller than Atlas in size, it had become the premier fighting force in Remnant. In no small part because of her father, Taiyang Xiao Long, and Yang's training programs. Compounding that, instead of Huntsmen being recruited, or forced, into the Special Forces as in Atlas; volunteers were integrated into each unit's formation as either combat specialists or a particular variety of officers. They were also entirely comprised of Humans and Faunus. The hacking of Atlas forces taught Vale a terrible lesson regarding automatons, and they had not forgotten.

At the head of that formation stood an old friend; now Huntsman-General Jaune Arc. He looked as uncomfortable as ever. In private conversation, he had told all of them that he never felt it right to have that position or authority, and that is precisely why she personally recommended him for the job. Experience aside, and by the time of his promotion he had plenty, a reluctance to seek out power is an absolute must in selecting a leader for the fragile kingdom.

"Now, if only he'd pull his head out of his backside regarding my sister!" She thought, surprising herself by how angry that thought was. It had been painfully visible for years now that they both had feelings for each other, but nothing had come of it. Understandable, sure, even Sun was reluctant with Blake before Yang and Weiss had a conversation with him. 'Conversation' was probably an inaccurate description for that talk... and 'talk' was certainly an inaccurate description of what had happened. "Maybe she and I should have a 'conversation' with Jaune..."

She would not do it, of course. She cared deeply for all of her friends, and the reason Jaune and Ruby stayed at arm's length was understandable. She looked at the statue. It was a life-sized sculpture of a young woman holding spear and shield in heroic fashion. The woman honored there would have hated it, Pyrrha had always been humble. However, being one of the earliest, and youngest, combat casualties of the war had made Pyrrha Nikos more than a fallen friend. Her memory belonged to the survivors of RWBY and JNPR, but her legend belonged to all the people of Remnant.

Both Jaune and Ruby blamed themselves for Pyrrha's death. Ruby's guilt came simply because she did not think she was fast enough in reaching the top of the tower that day. Jaune's guilt was worse; he believed that Pyrrha's act forcing him from the field kept him from trading his life for hers that night. Frustrating as it was, she admitted to herself, neither would even speak of their feelings to the other because of that burden on their hearts.

A horn sounded, the honor guard shifted into a salute, and Yang turned and the Ceremony began.

…

Jaune Arc touched his sword hilt to his forehead and slowly lowered it slowly with a straight arm toward the ground, with the blade held so that one flat of the blade faced upwards. He felt horribly stiff and hot in his uniform, a thick wool coat dyed almost-black and white cotton trousers. His gold-trimmed white armor, which he wore over the uniform, did not help matters. He missed his Pumpkin Pete Hoodie and blue jeans. During regular work, he still wore jeans, but the Hoodie had long since worn out. Still, as Huntsman-General, this was his required attire for the evening; and he had to wear it. Ruby had made that last point very, uncomfortably clear.

Huntsman-General, a title combining his profession with his unwanted authority. He still was not used to the idea. He had accepted the council's appointment reluctantly, and would be a very happy man when he no longer carried it with him.

He disliked this place for much the same reason as he disliked his title. The title granted him authority, but also responsibility. This graveyard was a constant reminder of what his failure would bring to those that served under him. Row on row of stone, for the Soldiers, his Soldiers, it was always a simple marker with their name and a small religious symbol. Funny, he thought, how each insisted on that simple marker. "When we face our gods" one Soldier had once said to him, "we will face them as equals, regardless of where we came from." In the end, he agreed, and his marker would look much the same as theirs.

The ceremony was an annual event, marking the anniversary of the worst day of their lives. Every year since the end of hostilities, surviving Huntsmen veterans of the Battle of Beacon laid wreaths at these monuments. This was the fifth occurrence of the ceremony, and team RWBY were placing the wreaths. Each member would place, in turn, wreaths on The Unknowns Memorial; The Innocent's Memorial; The Soldier's Memorial, called "Equality" because the Soldiers were both Human and Faunus; and, finally, The Huntsmen Memorial, called "The Maiden" for reasons too painful for Jaune to think about. He glanced at Ruby, who had chosen to place that wreath. "This is painful for her, too." He thought.

Weiss Schnee stepped forward, placing the wreath on the memorial of the Unknowns. Through all the years, and all the hardship, she had kept her bearing. A formidable woman and now the head of a still-formidable family. She and Yang had already hinted at their disapproval of Jaune's reluctance to propose or court Ruby. Considering their earlier 'conversation' with Sun regarding Blake, Jaune was not looking forward to dinner after the ceremony's conclusion. "My curse will die with me." He thought, bitterly determined.

Yang was next to step forward. She had selected the Innocents Memorial, appropriate for a woman now widely considered a saint by the people. Dean of Signal was one of the most important positions in Vale recently, and she was in line for either a Council seat or headmaster of Beacon itself in the future.

Jaune glanced to the other side, and looked at Oscar. He was one of the few who knew about Oscar's... uniqueness. "I wonder," He thought, "what he thinks of all of this." What would one think about mourning death if they had the ability to cheat it?

…

Oscar watched the proceedings and straightened his suit. He felt Jaune's eyes on him, but that did not bother him. Jaune had become something of a big-brother to this version of Oscar, and could be easily trusted. After all, Jaune knew part of his secret and hadn't told anyone.

Jaune, and the rest of the team who first encountered Oscar, assumed that the memories of old Ozpin had found him after the fall of Beacon. That was true, in a very narrow sense. They were off, though, by an order of magnitude. Oscar was not only the host to Ozpin's life, he was the host to every life Ozpin had hosted beforehand. Instead of decades of memories from one life, Oscar had thousands of years of memories from hundreds of lives before his own.

It was a blessing and a curse. Oscar was functionally immortal. If this body died the next host would inherit the memories and, like Ozpin did for him, his psyche would guide the recipient for years to best integrate those memories into the mind and personality of the new host. The curse was the memories themselves, both good and bad, and their constant comparison to the present. He remembered the first humans on Remnant, and how they got there. He knew, personally, how far humanity had fallen and how far it still had to climb.

For instance; he still could not fathom that this version of civilization, the eighth if he was counting properly, could achieve wireless communication and sentient Artificial Intelligence yet still fail to achieve basic spaceflight. However, that did not matter too much to him. Holding thousands of years of perspective gave one an open mind to how things could progress.

"The Faunus were an unexpected development" he thought to himself, watching Lady Belladona place a wreath on a monument. "As, I admit, were both the Silver-Eyes and the Maidens." now watching Miss Ruby Rose place another wreath on the statue of Pyrrha Nikos. Salem, Salem was unfortunately completely expected. Given sufficient time and knowledge, mankind always found a way to try and destroy itself. An earlier version of him had tried to stop that occurrence, to be sure, and without even trying Ozpin had almost succeeded. Or, at least, that version of him took some small pride in his living tenure because of it. However, that self-destructive tendency was a constant of the universe. Just like Oscar was.

Oscar heard the sound of a motorcycle in the distance, a Courier from the capitol was approaching. He sighed, this version of him was currently aide-de-camp to Huntsman-General Arc, and receiving sensitive messages was a responsibility of his. "Let's go see what this is all about." Oscar said to himself, all of his-selves.

…

Ruby turned away from Pyrrha and walked back toward the assembly. With each step, she felt the stone eyes of Pyrrha's statue on her back. Normally, she would stop and talk to the stone, as though talking to her friend. Their talks would be about how life had changed; how everyone was doing; and, in particular, about Jaune's progress and health. "Please, you have to save Pyrrha." Jaune's pleading call from that night still haunted Ruby. Pyrrha's statue was a permanent reminder that she had failed that begging request.

"Don't worry, I'll protect him." She said to the statue, and to herself, making the same promise she had made a thousand times since that horrible night. She never understood why Jaune did not hate her for that failure, why he did not blame her for the death of his love.

She returned to the dais, and the ceremony concluded with a brief speech by Blake. While the others in attendance made their ways toward their cars and carriages, she made her way towards the markers and memorials. She passed through a small clump of the dismissed troops, who gave her a wide but respectful berth. She appreciated them, but was never able to really get to know any of them. She was… different... from them, and though they viewed that difference in a good way, the separation gnawed at her.

For her sister, connecting with Soldiers came naturally. In part because of a similar hard-partying life style off duty, and in part because the Soldiers never had to guess if she had been in their shoes. One of the Soldiers would always nod toward the prosthetic, Yang's missing arm, and ask a one-word question. "Where?" It was a simple question, with a simple answer, but it conveyed whole essays of both their stories and hers. Yang would then answer "Beacon" and one of two things would happen. Either the questioning Soldier would nod, looking at her with both respect and sympathy; or the Soldier would smile the kind of smile only that particular breed of person could have, a twisted combination of sadness and fondness, then say "That was a shit-show, wasn't it?" Regardless of response, Yang was then a part of their group; bent, maybe even broken, but still moving forward.

For Ruby this was different. She never had to prove herself, instead she had the opposite problem of most huntsmen. Her first introduction to the Soldiers was the middle of a battle where she intervened at the crucial moment. From there squad talked to squad, and she was seen as some kind of good-luck symbol. They revered her, like they revered Pyrrha, and it annoyed her to no end.

She reached her mother's marker, now flanked by her father and uncle's graves. She began her regular ritual; a brief prayer, and a talk to each of them. She then walked back to Pyrrha's monument, regardless of who else was remembered there it belonged to Pyrrha, and began to talk with her as well.

…

"Is this report confirmed?" Oscar asked the courier, worry instantly entering his mind. "These pictures come from two different recon teams several days apart, Intel has a ninety-percent certainty that these two are in fact the same as Cinder's associates." The Courier replied.

Oscar was shocked. Not that this was necessarily unexpected for him, his inhumanly long memory noted several instances of faked death and evasion. The shock came from how that death was faked, and the two who escaped.

Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai were the two personal assassins of Cinder Fall; one of Salem's top lieutenants and the woman who had killed Oscar's predecessor, Doctor Ozpin, Headmaster of Beacon Academy.

That night flashed again in Oscar's mind; a major crisis, a battle, and a failed attempt to prevent the capture of the Fall Maiden's powers. While Jaune and Ruby suffered from imagined failures that night; Oscar's, or rather Ozpin's, failures were very real.

This graveyard existed solely because of his own underestimation to the approaching danger. Had it not been for the presence and fast thinking of Qrow Branwen, James Ironwood, and Glinda Goodwitch Vale would no longer be a kingdom, or even a populated region on this accursed planet.

Now, it had been confirmed, was news that two of those conspirators still lived; and were still capable of influencing events. Both were known to be in Salem's inner circle near the end of the war, it could only be assumed that they knew and supported her master plan.

"What actions have been taken?" Oscar asked, mouth dry. The Courier responded, "Huntsmen Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie have been dispatched to assess, and this message from the council is to be disseminated to General Arc, Dean Yang, and Huntress Rose." The titles were still absurd to Oscar, Ozpin's memories of awkward young men and women still held precedence in his mind's eye over what those children had become over the intervening years. This would not be pleasant for either of them to hear, the very knowledge of it could undo a great deal of work all of them had done in rebuilding the world. "Thank you, Soldier, I'll take it from here." The Courier saluted, remounted his motorcycle, and began riding toward Vale.

"Any advice, guys?" He reluctantly asked his past selves while walking toward the dispersing assembly.


	3. Chapter 3-Memories

Oscar looked concerned. Jaune took a strange comfort in seeing the worry on Oscar's face, as it justified the barely concealed terror Jaune himself felt. After all; if one knew an immortal being that changed bodies when needed was looking worried, you could take it as a good indication that your own worry about the same thing was justified. Still, it was unsettling to see someone like that even slightly concerned.

Jaune, Yang, and Ruby had just received the briefing. Ruby had gone off to deliver a curtailed version of the brief to Weiss and Blake. Blake was heir to the throne of Menagerie, and Weiss was head of the Schnee Dust Company, a strategic asset for Atlas. They were friends, but they were still citizens of other kingdoms, so the majority of the briefing's content could not be shared. This was part of the red-tape nonsense that he could not stand while working with Vale's government.

"How did they manage to escape?!" Jaune thought to himself. "There were multiple witnesses to their death. Emerald was strong, but not that strong." Emerald had a talent of deceiving others by illusions, but historically only one or two people could be deceived at any one time. The reports of their deaths had been confirmed by twenty different eye witnesses, to include Jaune and Ruby. All of them saw the blast, and multiple people nearest to the site saw the two get shredded by shrapnel and debris. Jaune, himself, had nightmares for days after the event. No one had wanted them dead more than Jaune at the time, but it certainly was not a pleasant way to go.

More concerning to him, though, was the second question. "Why now? Why resurface?" These two were many things, but sloppy was not one of them. Five years is a long time to hide during peacetime, and one of the first treaties at the end of the war gave combatants from the losing side the ability to turn themselves in and be spared for a set time frame. Someone as high up as either Emerald or Mercury would have likely been imprisoned for a significant portion of their life, but that would still be better than being hunted for the rest of their lives.

The sunset provision for that treaty expired two years ago, any remaining forces had since then been deemed outlaws and hunted down relentlessly. Neither were Faunus, which excluded them from being splinter members of the Adam Taurus' White Fang zealots. Most of that group who refused the peace died alongside Adam. In that campaign, Sun Wukong nearly killed himself in an act of reckless heroism; and the 'conversation' that followed between him, Weiss, and Yang nearly succeeded where the enemy had failed.

These questions would get him nowhere, but they gnawed at him. "What have they been doing all this time?"

…

 _Seven Years Ago_

Mercury heard pipe and drum music. He hated hearing the enemy's music, primarily because of it's effect on his force's Grimm. The Grimm were attracted to negative emotions like fear, hate, or terror. The music had a motivating effect on the enemy and an unnerving effect on his own troops, making the Grimm less reliable or effective in the fight.

As much as he hated those tunes, he appreciated what they told him. 'Regiment Strength, Marching on foot, Vale provincial troops, from the southwest' The size, cadence, tune, and direction of the sounds informed how he would employ his two battalions of White Fang and Brigands. It also helped him decide to keep the Grimm and their handlers in reserve, rather than as a shock force at the front. He quickly gave orders, then moved his guard to a nearby hilltop to see the approaching regiment.

The force arrayed against him flew two banners; one the grey crossed axes of vale, the other a golden banner emblazoned with a burning heart. Combined, the picture was complete. Today he faced the 3rd Vale Infantry Regiment. Formally named the Xiao Long Legion, over the years it had gained a nickname to both sides, "Tai's Tigers." This would be a tough fight.

The yellow bastard was here! Mercury could see the Blond haired old man marching at the front of his troops. That fact alone was worth concern; Taiyang Xiao Long, for all his prowess, was legendarily cautious. That, Mercury assumed, was in part why his daughters were equally reckless. Yang would hit hard, and Ruby would strike with quick precision. Tai's fighting style was the slow grind, and his Soldiers were well trained in that craft. Tai's regiments fought like tigers, but there was not a foolish "hero" among them, no weakness of hubris to exploit.

Mercury looked over his troops. Among human, or rather human-like, forces, there was one band of fanatics and one band of miscreants. The fanatics looked to him as an agent of their prophet, Adam Taurus. The brigands, rejects from society, looked to him as a hero. Like him, all had come from the scum of the four kingdoms' and countless villages'' societies. Like him, all had rejected their lots and fought the systems that had so wronged them.

Unlike them, however, he saw the truth: they were the villains of the story. No matter how long, or valiantly, they fought; history would brand them all traitors and renegades. Those fortunate enough to live would have their own decedents denounce them for centuries. Mercury accepted this, Mercury would leave no children himself, Mercury was free.

The enemy stopped. "What are they doing?" he thought.

"Thump. Thump. THUMP." The new sound was coming from his right. He turned, seeing three pink smoke trails from a distant point. The trails arched overhead, then he heard the whistling of the incoming shells. His men were out-flanked, they were all under indirect fire, and there was not enough time to react. "Oh, no!" he thought, as the rounds hit their mark.

...

 _Six Months ago_

Mercury sat up with a start. He was not laying on sand, he was not covered by a simple poncho, and he was not out doors. "This is not Vacuo. Where am I?" He thought. He felt the bed underneath is hands, a firm mattress with a soft hand-sewn quilt draped over his lower body. Sunlight streamed through a nearby window. It illuminated a humble, but sturdy, farmhouse constructed of hardwood. Birds chirped happily outside. He remembered where he was.

"A dream, only a dream." The thoughts washed over him, soothing away the worry and terror he had felt both seconds and years ago. That battle, near an oasis in Vacuo, had occurred ages ago. However, days like that one never fade. Reflection on those memories could dull their impact; but the hot sun, burning sand, and cacophony of the fight could never truly be removed.

"I did what I had to do." He told himself, trying to convince a part of him. That smaller part whispered back "liar." There was nothing Mercury could do about that now. He stretched his arms, pulled back the covers, and started his day.


	4. Chapter 4-Arguments and fights

_Six Months Ago_

"Daddy, can I go play with Aunt Yang?"

Sun Wukong looked up from the book he was reading, and into the face of a cat-eared little girl with golden hair.

"Your aunts and your mother are in a very important meeting, Yin. You'll have to wait until it's over to play." Sun explained to his daughter. Yin Wukong, called "Bumblebee" by her mother and "Mini-Me" by her adopted aunt Yang, stamped her foot and glared at her father. She was six years old now, the oldest child of the Wukong-Belladonna family, named to honor her 'Aunt' Yang, and a combination of all three personalities.

"If that meeting is so important," she asked, "why aren't YOU and Uncle Neptune in it?" The question elicited a chuckle from the other man in the room, the blue-haired Neptune Versailles. "Because they needed us to look after little pains in the neck like you!" Neptune jokingly responded to the little girl.

After the jibe, Neptune looked at Sun and said in a more serious tone, "She has a point, though, Sun. Politics has never stopped us from getting involved before. Why the hesitation now?" His wife, Weiss, known to Yin as "Aunt Weicy," was also in the meeting.

"Because of who this meeting deals with, Neptune." Sun responded. No matter how many years had past, the fact that the main conspirators in the Fall of Beacon 'Officially' hailed from Haven Academy had been a black mark on Mistral.

Silence and stillness passed in the room for a few seconds; Yin glaring at her father, Sun and Neptune staring at each other. Outside a Deer chaser tipped, pouring out its water and banging back into the upright with a loud "DONK"

"Fine. I'll go see if they are finished. Stay here, Yin." Sun said to his daughter while slowly standing. He stretched his arms and flexed his tail, then began walking toward the door. Scratching the back of his blond head the entire way.

"I'll go with you." Neptune said, following closely behind. Yin giggled, then returned to the coloring book she had abandoned earlier.

…

Blake and Weiss were arguing. This was not a good sign for either Sun or Neptune. Jaune also looked paler than usual, though he looked _…_ _relieved_ …to see Sun and Neptune enter the room.

"Yang, your little doppelganger wants to spend time with you, if everyone is done here." Sun said. "I would be delighted!" Yang replied happily, then walked out of the room. Blake and Weiss barely noticed Yang's absence.

"The war is over, Weiss! It's been over for more than five years. They aren't gathering forces, they don't plan to do anything. Why reopen an old wound? Let them live in peace."

"Because, Blake, they knew Salem's plans. They had access to both knowledge and resources that are best forgotten. So long as they live, there is a chance it could happen again."

Jaune had slowly moved around the room, and was preparing to leave. As he passed, he put his hand on both Sun and Neptune's shoulders and said, "Both of you are far braver men than I ever was." Considering the events occurring in that room, Sun did not think the comment related to combat.

"Wait just a second, _General_ Jaune Arc!" Weiss said, sarcastically emphasizing Jaune's reluctant rank. Jaune froze, his hand inches from the door. Slowly, he turned around and faced her and Blake.

"Um, Yes?" He asked, sheepishly.

"Who is going to investigate? Surely you have sent a team to assess what is going on." Weiss asked.

"Two of our best," He responded, "old friends of ours..."

…

 _Seven Years Ago_

Nora Valkyrie hurtled toward the ground, grinning from ear-to-ear. Her three grenades had accomplished their intended effect, scattering the unsuspecting criminals below her. Soon the rest of her team, and their Soldiers, would slam into the brigand and cultist's flank and break through. She could already see the troop of cavalry gallop toward their targets, led by two men; one wearing white armor, the other a green coat. Falling beside her was a streak of red and black with silver eyes.

The plan, devised by Ruby and Jaune, was simple and devastating. Taiyang's troops held the enemy's attention as Jaune's knights flanked to the left. Nora and Ruby had the best part of this job, to land first among the enemy's reserve troops and Grimm, then spread havoc.

Ruby, the red streak, made landfall amongst the Grimm. Crescent Rose, her Scythe, broke the fall by cleaving through a Beowulf. From there she began her silver-eyed slaughter, flowing through the Grimm with precision and lethality. Seconds after landing, nearly half of the enemy's Grimm were smoking husks.

Nora barely paid attention to Ruby's movements, focusing instead upon her own targets. She would land close to one of her grenade's impact point. She identified her first target.

Her grin broadened into a full smile. Most, like Jaune and Ren, blocked out fighting, and tried to forget as quickly as possible. Not Nora, Nora lived for the fight. She brought back her Hammer, Magnhild, over her head. Then, directly before reaching the ground, struck down with it onto the legs of one fighter who had been knocked over by the grenade's blast.

The impact shattered the man's tibias, and he screamed in pain. Sand billowed out in a small mushroom cloud where she landed. Nora lifted her hammer again, then swung it at the nearest standing fighter. He went down silently, either concussed or crushed. She continued her swings at others, laughing with each blow as she fought. Jaune and Ren's lancers impacted the line near her, and Taiyang's troops charged. The battle was joined.

…

The battle was lost. Of the Four hundred who fought alongside of Mercury Black that day, only seventy remained. Of that group, and counting Mercury himself, only forty could fight. Mercury carried on his shoulders one of the shattered survivors.

"Why save him?" He asked himself, "He cannot walk, he cannot fight." Both statements were true, the man's legs had been shattered by the Valkyrie's hammer. The cuts in the man's calves were beginning to fester, gangrene would soon set in. If the man was to live, it would be without his legs. Mercury was more than familiar with the dying man's plight.

"Tell me, are you anything like your father?"

Cinder's first question burned in the back of his mind as he carted the wounded man back to safety. He barely remembered his answer to her that day, but everything in him screamed his answer now, "No! I am nothing like him! I am stronger, I am smarter, I am a better man than he ever was!" He shouted his response out loud. His words were greeted by the groans of his burden.

This war was finished, Salem's primary strategy of causing division and chaos would never work in Vacuo now. The desert rebels had been crushed, Salem's involvement found out, Shade Academy would not fall like Beacon did.

"What then?" he thought, as he dragged the wounded man along. "I may be able to save Cinder, if she could see sense." Emerald would follow Cinder. The dark Green-haired held a strong affection for the other woman, Cinder did not necessarily reciprocate her feelings. Roman's purported death at Vale was recently confirmed. Neo had been missing for a long time.

"I'm never going to walk again, am I?" The wounded man said sorrowfully. "Don't worry, we'll get you fixed up." Mercury said, determined.

He needed to begin planning the impossible. He needed to find a way out of this war, for all of them.

…

Lie Ren walked across broken ground. Nearly three hours of close fighting had finally come to a close.

In the cold desert evening air Ren heard the lancers who had ridden with him chant in victory towards their retreating foes. "Nikos! Nikos! Nikos!" It was both an honor to his fallen friend, and the cry "We win! We win! We win!" when translated into his own language.

Horsemen were surprisingly effective in this desert. The sand would seize and clog engines for most vehicles. The beasts and their riders were quieter, making them excellent scouts. The animals did not require Dust, thus increasing the available ammunition. Finally, as living beings each had an Aura that could be activated before a fight. This last detail was not very effective against humans, but was devastating against Grimm.

Mercury Black's forces had been decimated in this fight, but the aftermath was equally grim for the winning side. The sands of the desert had changed their color from light brown to dark rust. Even the sky itself seemed to bleed as the afternoon light faded.

"Broken ground, broken moon, and broken people." Ren thought to himself as he surveyed the landscape. Nearby, Nora and Ruby talked with Yang. She had accompanied her father in the main attack, holding and distracting Black's troops while Jaune and Ren gained the advantage. Tai stood nearby, receiving reports from his Soldiers. Among the many dead, neither of their targets were counted. Intelligence never confirmed Emerald's presence on the field, so no loss there. However, Mercury had been observed in command of the recently defeated enemy. Again, that assassin had eluded capture. "He cannot run forever." Ren thought as he continued to walk. In one of the landscape's many dips Ren could see the outline of his self-adopted brother, Jaune, as he kneeled over a corpse.

Ren walked towards Jaune slowly, finding at the knees of the other man a dead White Fang woman. She was a deer faunus. Her white mask, part of her organization's uniform, had shattered. One eye gazed sightlessly towards the heavens.

"When the gods return, may they find you whole and free." Jaune said softly to the corpse, closing its eyes. While at first the most skeptical of old Qrow Branwen's words about the nature of this fight, Jaune had gained a firm conviction during the intervening years. Ren had never seen Jaune pray, but faith had shown other marks on the man. Nora walked up, stood beside Ren, and made a joke to lighten the mood. It only partially worked.

…

 _Five Months Ago_

Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie looked down from a hilltop on a quaint village nearly hidden in old growth forest.

"I guess it is time for us to get to work" Ren Said.


	5. Chapter 5-Forest and Farm

_SevenYears ago_

The Old King thought of his heir and his chosen, fighting for their lives among the shattered bulidings and life that was once the Kingdom and City of Vale. He watched, through the television and the windows of his tower, as the lives and peace he built fell to pieces. He walked toward the door, gabbing his Scepter as he passed towards the elevator. In spite of everything, all his plans and designs, war had come again; and he would be damned rather than run from it.

He hoped for his students. Some, like Velvet and Coco, would survive this night to fight again. However, that would only be accomplished if he took action. "Forgive me" he thought, and continued his walk towards the elevator. The ground _shook_ , "No!" he thought, and the mountain erupted. The Dragon spread its wings, and started for Beacon…

…

Phyrra and Jaune ran through the Vaults. She knew what had to be done, but she was not ready to make the choice. Jaune asked an obvious question "What did this School need to hide." It was a good question, but she would never have time to answer. The arrived at the pods, and she had a choice to make. Jaune; ever the good Soldier, one of his qualities Phyrra most loved; stood guard as ordered. The sight of him, standing ready to fight a battle he could never win, made her mind up for her. Ozpin said "I need to hear you say it." She did, and hoped it was the right decision.

…

"Do you believe in Destiny?" Phyrra asked, her fate now sealed. Her thoughts were for the only human alive who would say "No." to that question. She thanked both of the Gods that she had the opportunity to send him away, rather than face what was to come.

"Yes." Cinder Answered, as she dealt the final blow. Phyrra felt the shock of the arrow, knew what would happen, and did what she had always done; fought until she changed from existence to ash. "Protect him, Ruby. I will always be with you, Jaune." She thought as she became one with the night.

…

"Why?" Jaune asked Ren and Nora as they all stood over a comatose Ruby. None of them had an answer, their answer would not come for months. Jaune's gauntleted fist tightened, a subtle but noticeable change in both him and everything that surrounded. Qrow, looking on the whole scene, thought to himself "The land and the King are one." So long as Jaune remained ignorant of his heritage and destiny, there was nothing to fear. Should Jaune learn, before the time came to make use of it, many would suffer. Ren placed his hand on the unknown prince's shoulder, calming him with the genetic heritage of Lie's house. Qrow sighed softly, "With luck, all of them will survive this mess." He thought to himself. Nora and Ren looked at each other, Qrow caught the glance. "Upon them rest the fate of nations." he thought to himself. Ren shifted uncomfortably, as though he could feel the Older Huntsman's eyes on him.

 _Five Months Ago_

Ren and Nora's mission was, objectively, an easy one. Both had spent significant portions of their childhoods hiding and watching. Nora's semblance of energy generation, and Ren's semblance suppressing indications of their presence, complemented the task at hand nicely.

"Certainly, easier than Mistral." Ren thought to himself while carving an observation point inside the wood line. These tiny structures, built from fallen branches and leaves, would allow them a view of the farmhouse and its avenues of approach without giving away their position. It would also provide shelter from the wind and rain, should the weather turn over the first few days of their reconnaissance.

This mission would occur in three phases. First; Ren and Nora would visually observe the activities of Mercury and Emerald, chart their patterns of activities, and record visitors and events at the farmhouse. Then; Either Ren, or Nora, or both would travel into the nearby village for a few days to collect information on the neighborhood's views and opinions of the two renegades as well as collect additional information on their activities. Concluding that, a decision point; report back to Vale and withdraw back to the kingdom, or file the same report and contact Mercury and Emerald directly. Ren was hoping for a simple withdrawal, Nora preferred contact, the headquarters back in Vale would make that decision either way.

"That is weeks from now. It is best not to worry about it yet." Ren thought to himself and completed the shelter. Nora returned from a supply camp hidden a few miles away, and the both of them settled down to watch Mercury's Farm.

…

Mercury sweated through his vest. Rhythmically his hoe rose and fell, churning the black earth beneath him. The cold of winter had ended, and it was planting season. The green leaves and flowers of the forests surrounding his homestead painted his world in vibrant colors. Not that he noticed, he was far too busy tilling the rich soil and preparing the ground for this year's crop of wheat. The rustling of wind, and chirping birds, relaxed his troubled mind as much as the work. Grey-white clouds passed slowly overhead, occasionally moving between him and the Sun, shielding him from its heat.

Nearby, leaning on a fence, was a Green haired woman with dark skin. Looking intently at him with her peculiar red eyes. Mercury continued to work under Emerald's gaze. She had not spoken much since their departure, neither of them had.

Nor did they go by their original names, even in private. Instead, they had become "Slate Grey" and "Jade Greene" respectively.

Mercury looked up, and saw some of the townspeople from the nearby village walking towards the farm. Slate Grey smiled, and lifted his hand to wave.

 **AN:** Sorry for the delay. Work, Life, and the End of Season 4 delayed me. Hope you enjoy!


	6. Chapter 6-Debates

In a grassy field, Yang lay on her back and stared at the sky through the fingers of her mechanical arm. Sunlight streamed through her fingers, lighting her violet eyes and reflecting off her golden hair. The field was in a secluded area of one of Vale's many parks. It was a good thing for her, as even now she was considered a great beauty. Though she regularly appreciated and returned the affection and attention shown her by interested men and women, she wanted seclusion for the moment. Today, there needed to be some silence in the outside world. There was plenty of noise inside her own head at that moment.

As she lay there, she thought. She contemplated the past, pondered the future, and did everything she could to not think on the present. The combined councils had met recently in secret regarding Vale's recent discovery. Suffice to say, the additional details now provide by Vale did not improve the quality of dialog between the Four Kingdoms. More information led to more questions; actions led to criticisms; and, without either Mercury Black or Emerald Sustrai lifting a finger, the Kingdoms were at each other's throats.

Only quick thinking by Councilwoman Coco Adel prevented another war by suggesting a trial for the two renegades after the conclusion of Ren and Nora's mission. Yang wanted to kiss the older woman for coming up with that, and wanted to flatten Councilman Whitley Schnee of Atlas because of who he suggested for judge.

 _Cardin BLOODY Winchester! Of all the people to suggest, he suggested Cardin Winchester!_

Cardin, after the fall of Beacon and through the War, had become a Soldier of some note. After the end of hostilities, he changed careers from huntsman to lawyer; chasing the criminals who followed Salem down with the pen rather than his mace.

His reputation was that of a fair and impassioned barrister, but Yang knew the truth: Cardin was a sanctioned psychopath, a hanging judge in purest form. If it hadn't been for her own maneuvering, several neutral towns and villages would have been burnt by Cardin's blind zeal. Now, that man had the final say in the fate of two people and the fate of five Kingdoms.

"There you are." A familiar voice said. With a start, Yang sat up and looked into Blake's golden eyes.

"Where else would I be?" She asked back, her surprised tension slowly draining.

After all the years, she still felt on edge when surprised. The aftereffects of the war's stress remained as deep a wound for her as the stub her mechanical arm was attached to.

Blake stiffened slightly at the brisk response, but regained her graceful stance shortly after. She and Yang were close, and always had been. Sun had helped the two reconcile after the battle of Haven, and they remained close thereafter. They were always friends, occasionally lovers, and as permanently in each other's corner as anyone could possibly be.

A breeze carried the scents of the sea and the mountains across the field; blowing Yang's hair to the side and gently ruffling Blake's dress. Blake moved and sat beside Yang, brining her knees up to her chest in a loose hug.

"You're worried about how this is going to go, aren't you?" Blake asked.

"I'm surprised your not." Yang replied, "If this goes the wrong way, we're going to have another great war."

"Maybe, but another fight was always bound to happen." Blake said quietly.

 _Now, That's a surprise!_ Yang thought in shock. Blake had always been an advocate for peace. It was her life's work, and Yang could not fathom how that could be Blake's line of thinking. "Why do you say that?" was all she asked.

"Because that's what we have to think." Blake said, "If we ever think that everything will be fine, we will do exactly what Ozpin did; become lax, and make ourselves vulnerable to the next version of Salem."

"That's certainly a cheerful way of thinking." Yang said, turning to Blake, "If that's the case, why are you in the 'do nothing' camp?"

Blake turned to Yang, the setting sun casting a bronze glow her skin, _Damned if she isn't still pretty_ Yang thought.

"Because our job is to keep that next fight away, if only for one more day." Blake said.

…

Jaune grimly watched the Soldiers drill.

Thursday's were dedicated to practicing weapons skills and formation fighting, a holdover from TaiYang's leadership of the force, and Jaune insisted that the practice continued. He thought of some of the darker days during the past two decades, nighttime raids and daytime tragedies. Drills like these prevented debacles like those. Drills like these prevented the many mistakes he had made.

He remembered those fights, and what it had nearly cost.

 _Your semblance won't always save them._ A dark corner of his mind spoke, showing images of an impaled Weiss and a wounded Qrow. It displayed, prominently, a rocket locker blasting off.

"That won't stop me from trying." He growled back at the darkness.

He heard steps behind him, he turned to see a young faunus lieutenant walk up. The gigantic frame and nervously twitching rabbit ears gave him away.

 _Velvet and Yatsuhashi's son._ Jaune thought. "Yes, Soldier?" He asked.

"Sir, the Counsel requests your presence." The young man saluted.

Jaune saluted back, "Tell the Counsel I'm on my way." He replied.


End file.
